The invention relates to a method for washing a vehicle. In particular, the present invention related to a method for washing a vehicle that provides for a relatively constant detergent use solution concentration over the washing surface of the vehicle.
Car wash facilities generally obtain liquid detergents in concentrated form and dilute the solution as desired by injecting the concentrated detergent into a pressured water line. Using such dilution techniques can cause problems in that it is hard to get the appropriate exact dilutions required for various vehicle washing applications. In fact, using a concentrated liquid detergent solution, the concentration of the active ingredients in the diluted use solution can vary considerably over a very short time period, such as within one cycle of an automated vehicle washing station sweeping over the vehicle.
Using this method, the liquid detergent concentrate that is diluted typically has an active concentration from about 20 wt. % to about 40 wt. %. After dilution, the detergent use solution typically has an active concentration of about 1 wt. %. For a single wash cycle, between about one and four gallons of detergent use solution is applied to the vehicle, which is between about two ounces to about five ounces are applied for each vehicle cycle wash.
This invention, in one aspect, relates to a method for applying a detergent use solution to a washing surface of a motor vehicle, including the steps of: (a) providing a liquid detergent concentrate that includes an active ingredient level from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %; (b) introducing the liquid detergent concentrate into a water stream to provide a detergent use solution that includes an active ingredient level from about 0.03 wt. % and 1 wt. %; and (c) applying the detergent use solution to a washing surface of a motor vehicle.
In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for washing a washing surface of a vehicle, wherein the method includes: (a) providing a liquid detergent concentrate with an active ingredients level from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %; (b) introducing the liquid detergent concentrate into a diluent stream to provide a detergent use solution; and (c) applying the detergent use solution to a washing surface of a vehicle wherein the detergent use solution has a relatively constant active ingredients level over the entire washing surface during a wash cycle.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a method for washing a washing surface of a vehicle, the method including steps of: (a) providing a liquid detergent concentrate including an active ingredients level from about 0.1 wt. % to about 15 wt. %; (b) introducing the liquid detergent concentrate into a diluent stream using an aspirator as the injection point to provide a detergent use solution; and (c) applying the detergent use solution to a washing surface of a vehicle wherein the detergent use solution has a relatively constant active ingredients level over the entire washing surface during a wash cycle.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.